Definitive Arms is not a stranger to enthusiasts of the AK family of rifles, or a stranger to controversy at times. The company gained amazing popularity a few years ago when they designed an adapter to allow certain AK rifles to accept AR-15 magazines which made some die-hard guns fans lose their minds. That was just the start for the company who at the time was based in St Petersburg, Florida. I first became aware of Definitive Arms from following Robski from the AK Operators Union Local 47-74 when he toured the factory a few years ago. Shortly after that exposure I took a gamble and ordered the Definitive Arms AK under folder adapter kit to help solve a love/hate relationship I had with a Polish under folder I owned. What I found was that Definitive Arms makes great products but I still hated that AK with a passion. So when I decided to start our Project Saiga build on an old converted Saiga IZ-240 I knew that I wanted an adjustable stock and it just so happens that Definitive Arms also makes an AK to M4 adapter that would fit the rifle. A quick email to the AK Operators Union and within minutes my part was on the way here to Alaska. This is almost the last part to arrive for the Project Saiga build, and then we can begin field tests.
Poor quality polymer stock had to go
Installation and Impressions
Aside from the normal steps of ensuring the firearm is unloaded and safe I had to remove the top cover, the recoil spring assembly and the bolt assembly. According the instructions I saw online when first researching this adapter I was also told that I would need to remove the grip, grip screw and “T-Nut” that holds the grip onto the receiver. Once those steps were finished I began to remove the terrible polymer stock that is standard on the Saiga. The odd thing about this stock is that its held in by three different types of screws. I don’t know if that is from the previous owner or it came that way after being partially converted, either way it was terrible and had to go and be replaced by something better looking and more useful not just to me but anyone shooting it.
No surprises awaited me and I was on my way to almost finishing this project build. Once the old parts and stock parts were all removed I wiped down the inside of the receiver and opened the package to inspect the Definitive Arms AKM4 adapter. The kit is very straight forward and easy to figure out and installed in roughly 60 seconds on my Saiga. The kit consists of only four parts, those parts are
- Adapter Plate
- Locking Drum
- Allen Screw
- Allen Wrench
The actual installation as I said was about a minute, the only reason it took me that long was because the Definitive Arms adapter had a very snug fit in the Saiga receiver. This meant I had to tap it twice with a rubber mallet to fully seat it flush with the end of the receiver, a snug but not overly tight fit is a good thing when it comes to most firearms parts I’ve found. Once the adapter was in place all I had to do to complete the installation was drop the locking drum in place with the numbers “74/100” facing up and insert the supplied allen screw. This is an important time to point out that this kit will work on AK47’s and AK74’s but with a slight difference. When using the Definitive Arms kit with 7.62×39 rifles you have to reverse the locking drum so that the markings of “15mm” are facing up. Once the proper drum is facing up all you need to do is insert the allen screw and turn it clockwise to tighten. The tightening of the screw pulls the adapter tight to the receiver and the locking drum against the rear trunnion.
Locking drum pulled tight against the rear trunnion
The adapter installation went so smoothly I was sure I did something wrong. After reviewing the procedure to make sure everything was tight, the rest of the reassembly began. I decided to install the pistol grip first and make sure that there was enough clearance between the adapter screw and the T-Nut that holds the grip secure. Pistol grip installed added the castle nut to the spare mil spec M4 buffer tube I had laying around and screwed it into the AKM4 adapter. tube screwed it easily to the built in stop that is shown in the feature photo. Once bottomed out I made sure the tube was straight and completed tightening the castle nut and attaching the B5 Systems SOPMOD stock I found in the bottom of my gun safe. A great way to reuse an old part that I had forgotten about.
This kit isn’t for everyone and might cause hardcore AK fans to lose their mind that’s fine. If you are looking at doing something with that old WASR or Romanian AK you have in the back of the closet or gun safe this could be a great accessory for you. Changing the stock isn’t rocket science and it does allow you to get a stock that might work better for you and your shooting style. Think of the options out there for AK-15 owners and now all of those stocks become options for your AK as well. I personally intend to try the GL-Core stock on my AK-74 in the coming months, something that never would have been possible with the configuration.
Installation Complete
